


One Hell of a Fighter

by H_W_Star



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Crossover, Didn't want to make chapters, Gen, Humor, I don't know how ao3 formatting works, I'll learn eventually, Not Really AU, One-Shot, Witty Banter, badassery, but I hope you'll like it despite all this, just Ciel and Sebastian in the world of SNK, kinda long, snide comments, so it's just one story, so no indents, thank you so much, tried to stay true to the characters to the best of my ability
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-27 05:31:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6271669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/H_W_Star/pseuds/H_W_Star
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ignore the title I had no idea what to call it. </p>
<p>Ciel and Sebastian are under 'special orders' to travel to the Trost District and investigate the Titan situation. They meet the wonderful characters of SNK/AOT, and go about under the guise of Titan fighters themselves. How will the prideful Earl and demon butler react to this new setting? How will the inhabitants react to the strange newcomers? Enjoy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Hell of a Fighter

**Author's Note:**

> Just a disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. Ciel and Sebastian belong to Yana Toboso and all the rest belong to Hajime Isayama.  
> This is my first 'official' fic, so comments of suggested improvements, encouragement, etc. are accepted and appreciated. I tried to stay as true to all these characters as possible. It's a bit long, but hopefully you'll like it enough that the length won't be an issue. Also, formatting may be a little weird because I haven't quite figured it out yet. But I hope you enjoy it.Thank you so much!

“Sebastian, you look ridiculous.”

  
Sebastian glanced down at his attire, prompted by the boy’s comment, and smirked. “My, that is quite harsh young master, especially as you look a sight yourself.”

  
“Tch.” Ciel turned and looked at his horse, inwardly groaning because he knew he was going to need Sebastian’s help. Met with the tall man’s characteristic smirk, Ciel looked at Sebastian, who offered the boy his hand. Sebastian lifted Ciel up and placed him gently in the saddle, then proceeded to mount his own steed and follow Ciel as he led the way.

Ciel looked down at the outfit he was wearing. The ensemble consisted of tight white pants with buckles on the thighs and covered halfway by knee-high black boots. It included a white button-up shirt under which was a black dressier shirt which had a small, intricately detailed frill at the bottom and at the end of the sleeves that could also be seen peeking out under the white sleeve. Part of the black shirt was visible over the pants. Over the white button-up was a black collared jacket that ended halfway down his torso, with small golden frills on each shoulder. Around his neck and over the collar of the white shirt was a blue ribbon tied in a bow, and clasped to the black jacket was a blue cape with golden frills at the bottom, matching the ones on the shoulders of the jacket. His hands were covered by black gloves which ended just below his knuckles, leaving part of the back of his hands exposed. Naturally he was wearing his black formal eyepatch as well. Over his entire outfit he wore the 3D Maneuvering Device, which partially attached to the belt he was wearing as well as the buckles on his legs. His swords, however, were not ones usually distributed to those who used the 3DMD. They were pure silver, with sterling wings at the hilt of each, and the blades themselves individually marked with the Phantomhive crest. Sebastian, regretfully, was right. He did make quite the picture. Speaking of the butler, Ciel looked over to him. The man didn’t look much better, and his image was coupled with the strange feeling of seeing him out of his usual butler garb.

Sebastian was dressed in the same basic outfit, meaning he was wearing the same white pants with buckles, high boots, and the button-up white shirt. However, he also sported a white garment resembling a type of cravat, as well as a beige jacket bearing the insignia of the Scouting Legion, called the “Wings of Freedom”. Naturally he wore his normal white gloves as well. To be honest, they both looked ridiculous, like puppets in some kind of utopian play. It reminded him of the time just after he was rescued by Sebastian, when the Queen held the ceremony officially naming him Earl Phantomhive, and for which he had to dress in a similarly excessively decorated outfit. Seeming to know what the boy was thinking, Sebastian met Ciel’s gaze and smirked. Ciel “hmph”-ed and faced ahead, urging his horse to a quicker pace with a nudge from his heel to its flank.

  
After a short while they arrived at a large, tall, rather thick-looking wall. The fortified door to the wall opened, with the slow groaning pace that only severely heavy passageway entrances can. The duo entered, and were met by a man with relatively muscular build, dressed in an outfit similar to Sebastian’s, but covered by a green cloak bearing the same winged symbol. He regarded Ciel with a narrow gaze.

  
“We are here to see Erwin Smith of the Scouting Legion,” the boy stated, holding the man’s gaze steadily. The man nodded and began walking in the direction of a large building, just outside of which two men were conversing. The man guiding them seemed slightly shocked, and quickly approached one of the men involved in discussion, blonde with thick eyebrows and a muscular frame. The blonde man disengaged from the conversation and turned to the green cloaked man.

  
“Commander Erwin!” the first man said in a slightly surprised tone. “I expected you to be inside,” he continued by way of explanation.

  
“Ah, I was just discussing the results of a recent expedition with a comrade,” Erwin replied casually. “What is it?”

  
“These two request an audience.” _Hardly_ , Ciel thought. _He makes it sound so formal. All I want is information, and this man Erwin is a member of authority._

  
Erwin looked up at Ciel, regarding the boy’s attire, before shifting his gaze to Sebastian. He faced the soldier again and nodded.

  
“Very well.” At this, Ciel and Sebastian dismounted, but Erwin made no move to go inside. Ciel gathered they would speak right where they were. Sebastian smirked once more, having arrived at the same conclusion.

  
“My name is Ciel Phantomhive,” he said, addressing the commander. The blonde man nodded and then looked at Sebastian.

  
At a nod from Ciel he replied, “Sebastian Michaelis.” Erwin turned back to Ciel.

  
“We are here on special orders, under command to join with a group called the Special Operations Squad.” Ciel studied Erwin’s expression as the man looked him over once more then nodded. He whistled, and another man brought forth a horse onto which Erwin mounted. Ciel and Sebastian followed suit, albeit Ciel with some difficulty and several frustrated grunts. Sebastian wisely hid his soft amused laughter. Erwin led the two further into the city, to a building with something that looked like a wooden stage next to it. A short green cloaked man was speaking with a light-haired woman dressed the same.

  
“Captain Levi,” Erwin called, and the short man turned. Ciel studied this man as well, and seemed to detect an air of respect around him as he spoke with Erwin. “These two have been assigned to your squad.”

  
At this, the man’s expression—calm and completely unreadable up to this point—appeared ever so slightly surprised. “Sir?”

  
“They’re here on orders. That’s all I know. But they’re with you now.” The shorter man’s—Captain Levi’s—expression went back to its blank state, but his eyes seemed slightly narrower.

  
“Understood,” he said, and regarded Ciel and Sebastian coolly as Erwin rode off. They dismounted, and Ciel held Levi’s gaze, which seemed to quickly flit over Ciel’s clothes.

  
“You may call me Ciel Phantomhive.” He gestured to Sebastian. “This is my comrade, Sebastian Michaelis.” He could feel the demon’s smirk, most likely at Ciel’s word choice. The boy’s brow narrowed but he continued. “I’m here under orders from an outside source to accompany you and your unit’s expeditions beyond the walls.”

  
Levi internally bristled. He didn’t like the air of arrogance and pride this boy carried with him, and disliked his mysterious appearance out of nowhere even more, with a vague explanation of his doing here to boot. And the boy’s tall companion unsettled him, though he could not say why. The charming demeanor the man had and the suave smirk he wore made Levi’s skin crawl ever so slightly. Yet he let none of this show.

  
Instead, he merely nodded and turned back to the woman with whom he had been previously conversing, saying as he did so, “I am the leader of this squad. You can address me as Captain Levi.” Facing the woman, he said, “Gather the others. Meet me at the court room for the trial. I’ll be there shortly.” The woman nodded and began walking towards the corner of the building, from where a horse’s whinny could be heard. Levi regarded Ciel again.

  
“It is of no concern to me what you do at this moment, however I am currently preoccupied. I have a trial to attend and afterwards I will come to retrieve you outside the courthouse.” Levi turned his back on the two and gave a short whistle. The sound of hooves could be heard and horse rounded the corner. Levi mounted and rode back, without another glance at Ciel or Sebastian.

  
“Well, young master,” Sebastian said smoothly, putting a finger and thumb to his chin. “It seems that will be our commander for a while. He reminds me of someone.” Ciel turned and glared at him.

  
“Let’s go,” Ciel said, turning to mount his horse.

 

“Oh? To where?” Sebastian inquired as he helped his begrudging master into the saddle.

  
“The courthouse Levi spoke of. I want to see this trial he mentioned.”

  
“Ahh, I see,” Sebastian said, his response coupled with another smirk as he followed Ciel’s lead once more through the city. After a few moments and at Ciel’s hesitation when met with a fork in the cobblestone road, Sebastian remarked, “Do you know the way, young master?”

  
“Hold your tongue,” Ciel snapped back, which Sebastian took as a no. The man then commented, “Might you permit me to lead the way?” Ciel regarded his butler with narrow eyes, then sighed. At the boy’s relent, Sebastian urged his horse in front of Ciel, and then proceeded down the road, following the left path. Ciel vaguely wondered how the man knew the way.

  
Soon they arrived at another large building, and they dismounted, securing their horses to nearby posts. They entered, and Ciel regarded the many statues, scales, and portraits on the way in. _This place reeks with justice._ Sebastian was right behind him as he joined the crowd of people, keeping to the back. Ciel watched as a young boy was brought out and handcuffed to a metal pole. The boy looked fearful and nervous. Surveying the room, Ciel spotted Levi, Erwin, the light haired woman from before, and a few other individuals bearing the symbol of the Scout Regiment, looking to be about the handcuffed boy’s age. An older looking man, who seemed to possess an almost palpable air of authority, walked in, sat down, rolled up his sleeves, and commenced the trial.

  
The boy was apparently named Eren Yeager, and this trial—rather, a military tribunal—was apparently to decide his fate. Ciel glanced up at Sebastian, who wore an intrigued expression as he looked on. Ciel’s gaze returned to the boy, Eren. Two corps, the Military Police and the Scout Regiment, were to argue their respective side and reasons as to whose custody Eren should be placed in. Ciel found his lips curling into a smirk of his own. He wondered what made the boy so special. As a member of the Military Police stated that Eren should be eliminated, he heard a sharp intake of breath and looked to the group of other trainees. A blonde-haired boy’s eyes were wide with horror and a dark-haired girl’s brow was narrowed in worry. Ciel therefore figured the two had some connection to Eren. The man speaking mentioned something about Eren’s “Titan powers,” and Ciel’s eyes narrowed. _What the hell does that mean?_ He looked up again, but Sebastian’s expression hadn’t changed. Then Erwin spoke, representing the Scout Regiment. It seemed their goal was to take Eren in and utilize his abilities to reclaim a damaged wall. The older man questioned Erwin about his strategy, and members of the crowd interrupted as well. Then, with a sharp but coolly-uttered comment from Levi, the room quieted.

  
He insulted the Military Police, then the crowd erupted into arguments. During this, Ciel noticed Eren’s companions speaking amongst themselves. The older man called order, then spoke to Eren directly. Ciel realized that Eren’s powers being referred to were his ability to transform into a Titan, a creature Ciel had only recently learned of, but without memory of doing so. The dark-haired friend of Eren was identified as a girl named Mikasa Ackerman. Apparently Eren had attacked her in his Titan form. At the mention of this, Eren’s expression grew haggard with horror, the whites of his extremely widened eyes glinting brightly against the court room lights. Yet Mikasa went on to explain the times Eren saved her life in Titan form. The representative for the Military Police explained Mikasa’s past, a part of which involved the death of her parents. At this verbal attack of Mikasa, Eren yelled out, silencing the room. He continued to seemingly just speak his mind to the court, angrily shouting at them to take a chance with him. Immediately after this a member of the military police aimed a gun at Eren, and then out of nowhere Levi was in the middle of the room, dealing a solid blow to the side of Eren’s face, knocking out a tooth. Levi continued to beat Eren brutally--Ciel noticed Mikasa’s expression turn murderous—and then listened as the man remarked that action and pain were the only ways to ‘teach’ Eren. He continued to kick Eren, and after Ciel got over his slight initial shock, he gave a small smile, realizing exactly what Levi was doing. Sebastian’s expression had slid into his usual smirk, indicating he understood as well. Levi’s actions were ultimately what decided Eren’s fate as joining the Scout Regiment.

  
“Interesting,” Sebastian remarked as the trial was drawn to a close and people began filing out. Ciel looked up with a smirk, muttered a “hmph”, then followed the crowd out. They walked to their horses, mounted, and waited for Levi. After a while, the short man exited and scanned the area, his gaze coming to rest on the two. He approached them.

  
“My squad will be moving to the former headquarters of the Scout Regiment, with special cargo. We leave in exactly one hour. Be ready, and meet up with me at the wall door.” With that, Levi returned inside.  
                                                                                                                             ~~~  
Ciel and Sebastian rode up to the hulking stone door of the wall. Ciel looked around for signs of Levi and his unit. Seeing none, he glowered.  
“Tch. I don’t appreciate unpunctuality.” Sebastian smirked at the young boy’s expression.

  
“Patience is a virtue, young master.”

  
“Hmph.”

  
Just then they heard the sound of hooves, and both looked up to see Levi galloping towards them, with five or six riders behind him. He acknowledged the two with barely more than a nod as he slowed to a halt before the wall. He turned to the group with him. Ciel noticed Eren was part of it.

  
“These two will be joining this squad for the time being. Thus they will be coming with us to the former headquarters.”

  
“Who are they?” an older man asked roughly.

  
“My name is Ciel Phantomhive. My companion is named Sebastian.” Sebastian gave a charming smile, and Ciel could see the barest hint of a roseate blush on the light-haired woman’s cheeks. Ciel rolled his eyes, which prompted another of Sebastian’s smirks.

  
“Let’s go,” Levi said, and spurred his horse on once more as the door groaned open. His squad followed, Ciel and Sebastian close at their heels. They soon parted slightly from the unit, riding beside them instead of behind them. Noticing the change, Levi bristled once more.

  
As they rode, Ciel could feel the stares of Levi’s squad members, and could almost hear the whine of their burning questions. Most of them probably revolved around why he was there. Sebastian appeared unperturbed, and rode at a steady gallop by Ciel’s side. They eventually arrived at their destination, a large castle which looked to be in relatively good shape.

  
The older man from before spoke to its good state, but remarked that its location made it undesirable to the Regiment. He moved closer to Eren and warned the boy not to get cocky, and continued speaking until he was cut off by biting his tongue at a bump in the path. They reached the castle entrance and dismounted. Ciel patted his horse’s blue-black neck. As he and Sebastian were leading their horses into the stables, the light-haired woman appeared, doing the same. She watched Ciel as he removed the saddle from the animal’s back.

  
“Um…” she began softly. Ciel looked up. “What’s your horse’s name?” Ciel’s eyes widened slightly, not expecting such a question from such a person, but replied anyway.

  
“Coach.”

  
“Ah, I like that name.” She smiled, then spotted Sebastian and turned to him. “And your horse? What’s his name?”

  
Sebastian smirked, one which mirrored that of his young master as the boy continued settling his horse in, and replied with devilish charm, “Lucifer.” Ciel’s smirk widened, but he kept his expression hidden as he continued to listen.

  
“Ahh…” she said shakily, “…nice.”

  
“He is indeed a handsome steed,” Levi said in a respectful tone, walking over to them. “They both are.”

  
“Thank you,” Sebastian said politely, stroking the horse’s sleek black neck. “My young master has a fondness for them, thus these two are of a very distinguished quality.”  
“Yet I also admire this squad’s horses,” Ciel said, emerging from the stable. “They’re fine creatures.”

  
Levi gave a slight nod. “Ours are specially bred for the regiment. Thus they have superior speed, stamina and temperament.”

  
“They’re also very loyal,” the woman included.

  
“Come,” Levi said. “The castle may look well-kept, but it’s filthy on the inside. That’s a serious problem. Petra, gather the others.” She nodded and, after securing her horse, went off in the direction of the other squad members. Levi began to walk off as well, with Ciel and Sebastian following shortly after.

  
At the entrance, Levi’s expression turned to one of grim determination.

  
“Let’s get started immediately.”

  
At this, Ciel looked to his butler.

  
“Sebastian.” The demon smirked knowingly.

  
“Yes, my lord.” He then went ahead, disappearing into the castle, and Ciel barely caught sight of him rolling up his sleeves as he did so.

  
                                                                                                                            ~~~

Levi’s expression was one of clear, genuine surprise. He just barely kept his jaw from dropping.

  
The sight in front of him could only be described as glorious. The room was positively gleaming, the windows literally sparkling in the bright sunlight, the pieces of furniture within the space shining pristinely. Despite the impeccable state of the room, Levi quickly regained his composure, and looked to the tall man brushing his hands together in the corner. Sebastian turned, meeting Levi’s gaze, and smiled cheerily. Suffice it to say, Levi was beginning to like the man a little more. Just then, Ciel entered the room. He had taken off the 3DMG and the black jacket, and was now dressed in just the pants, boots, and shirt with the ribbon. He still wore his black gloves as well.

  
“Sebastian,” he called, and the man looked up, but upon seeing Levi Ciel turned to him instead.

  
“Ah, Captain. You’re actually the one I’ve been needing to talk to.” Levi looked over to him blankly. Sebastian returned to dusting himself off and putting away the cleaning supplies. “I was wondering where we would be sleeping here.”

  
“Mm,” Levi acknowledged. “There’s a room on the first floor, off one of the hallways, big enough for two people. You’ll sleep there.” With that, and another glance toward Sebastian, Levi left the room. Ciel surveyed the area and smirked.

  
“You’ve outdone yourself, Sebastian,” he said sardonically.

  
The butler smiled cheerfully. “You are too kind, my lord.”

  
“Still,” Ciel continued, running a hand through his hair, “staying in conditions like this is nevertheless far below what I’m used to.” Sebastian’s lips curled into a smile.

  
“Allow me to make your quarters more comfortable, sir,” he said as they both exited the room and headed for their own.

  
As they entered their room, Ciel saw his maneuvering gear at the foot of his bed, and his jacket with the blue cape attached hung over one of the posts. He also saw a lumpy green shape on each bed. Upon further inspection, it turned out to be the green cloak of the Scouting Legion. Ciel held his up.

  
“Looks like we’re finally part of the group,” he said with a slight sneer.

  
“Indeed,” Sebastian replied, picking up his own cloak and moving it to the foot of the bed. “In any case, young master, we should embrace the situation. I brought your belongings up here already.”

  
At Ciel’s perplexed expression Sebastian explained, “I figured Captain Levi would assign us this room, thus I made the preparations beforehand.” Ciel rolled his eyes and flopped onto his bed with a groan. Just as Sebastian was about to make an amused comment regarding his master’s exasperation, a knock sounded at the door.

  
“Enter,” Ciel called out, and Levi appeared in the doorway.

  
“Dinner will be ready shortly,” he said, then turned back around and left. Ciel groaned again, rolled on his stomach, and buried his face in the bed. Sebastian chuckled.

  
“Come now, young master,” he said, offering Ciel his hand. Ciel took it and got up. “Let us prepare for dinner.”

  
They walked out of the room, in the direction of the dining hall.

  
Dinner was small and not entirely filling. Sometime during the meal, Sebastian stealthily swapped his full plate with Ciel’s then empty one. Ciel would have made some comment or remark, but at the time he had been more concerned about the food. Yet even with two helpings, he was still hungry, and hoped his stomach wouldn’t make the tell-tale noise. After the main meal, everyone sat around the table talking, while coffee was served. Ciel much rather preferred tea, and just after one or two sips decided he couldn’t stand the brown liquid before him. Looking over, he saw Sebastian hadn’t touched his either, yet was smirking amusedly at Ciel’s expression of disgust after trying the drink.

The conversation at this time revolved around the Regiment’s next expedition, set to begin in several days. The expedition would include the newly-made members of the Regiment. At this, Eren looked slightly concerned, and another man commented on how soon it was. There was some discussion of this, and Petra looked to Levi for confirmation. All the captain said was that Erwin was most likely thinking ahead of them, and again Ciel detected a strong sense of loyalty in his tone. Another man named Erd muttered about how they were being sent back to the drawing board, then mentioned something about another “ray of hope” appearing. At that, they all looked to Eren. _This boy must really be important,_ Ciel thought, _for all these people to rely on him and expect this much._ Eren seemed stunned. A man asked about how his powers worked, and Eren explained seemingly all he could. Ciel was intrigued to hear the workings behind it, and Sebastian seemed interested as well. The conversation had just shifted to Hange’s Titan study, when the woman herself barged in. Ciel had never seen her before, and regarded her curiously as she entered. Levi’s expression seemed to darken slightly as she walked in and greeted everyone. She approached Eren and explained how she had caught two Titans to use for experimentation. Ciel’s eyes widened slightly at hearing that she caught Titans. She told Eren she wanted his cooperation for the experiment taking place the next day. She seemed overly-excitable and passionate to the point of being a touch scary, especially when Eren asked about the details of the experiment. At this, everyone began to rise and leave the room. Following suit, Ciel rose from his seat as well.

  
“Let’s go, Sebastian.”

  
“Certainly.”

  
As they were about to leave, Ciel felt a hand seize his arm in a vicelike grip, then heard the sound of Sebastian slapping whosever hand it was away. He turned to see Hange standing behind him, looking a little taken aback, most likely at Sebastian’s reaction.

  
“Please refrain from touching my master,” he smiled charmingly, but Ciel could see the underlying menace in the demon’s expression. Hange noticed as well, judging by the slight fear in her eyes. However, her fright soon morphed into glee, and she smiled giddily.

  
“Ahh, newcomers! Welcome to the squad,” she said happily. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m--”

  
“Hange Zoë,” Ciel cut in, dismissively brushing off some dust from his shirt sleeve. “An expert in Titan studies.”

  
“Ah, y-yes,” she stammered, and recovered with a smile again. “And you two are?”

  
“Ciel Phantomhive, this is Sebastian Michaelis. We’re here temporarily on certain orders.” Before Hange could respond, Ciel called, “Come on Sebastian,” and turned on his heel to exit the room. Sebastian smiled at Hange.

  
“You must excuse my young master. Children become grumpy when they are tired.” Hearing this, Ciel’s brow twitched in annoyance. He turned to see Sebastian leaving the room as well, with an especially pleased smirk. Ciel glared at him, before turning once more and stalking toward the direction of their room.

  
When they arrived, Ciel flopped onto his bed once more, but sat up as Sebastian began to undress him, remove his eyepatch, and change him into his nightclothes. As Sebastian was just finishing with the last button, a thought occurred to Ciel.

  
“What do you plan to do tonight?” he asked the butler. “I know demons rarely sleep, but you can’t very well go wandering around the castle. You’ll arouse suspicion. And there is nothing we need to find out at this particular place.”

  
Sebastian put a finger and thumb to his chin, pondering Ciel’s question. “I suppose I shall just stay here, then. To guard you from all the things that go bump in the night.” The demon smirked, earning himself a glare from Ciel. The boy rolled over on his side, facing the wall which had but one window. He huddled up beneath the covers before Sebastian drew them up to fully cover the boy’s small frame.

  
As he blew out the candle on the nightstand between their beds he said, “Sleep well, young master,” before lying back on his own bed with his hands behind his head, staring up at the gray stone ceiling. Before long he heard Ciel’s breathing even out, and he sighed softly into the darkness.

  
                                                                                                                          ~~~  
Ciel’s eyes fluttered open, and he rubbed them sleepily. He looked around in the darkness, searching for what woke him.

  
“Nnn,” he mumbled groggily, and sat up, rubbing his eyes once more. The air smelled different, somehow. His eyes snapped wide open, fully awake, as he identified the smell. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and slipped on his jacket, then fumbled with the eyepatch, finally securing it—albeit haphazardly—after a few moments of struggle. He decided not to linger too much on the fact that he looked rather ridiculous. His glanced over at Sebastian’s bed, and could only make out the outline of his figure. He didn’t _seem_ to be awake, so Ciel gingerly opened the room’s door and slipped out into the hallway, following the scent in the air. He was surprised to find it led him outside the castle, where Ciel caught sight of the soft glow of a fire. As he rounded a corner, he saw Captain Levi sitting on a log in front of a fire with a small black pot hanging over it. Yet what Ciel’s gaze was really focused on was the beverage in Levi’s hand. _Tea!_ Ciel thought, incredibly happy to see the drink, especially after his less-than-pleasant experience with coffee earlier. The grass felt cool beneath his feet as he walked towards Levi.

  
At the sound of Ciel’s approach, the short man looked up. He seemed unsurprised to see Ciel. The boy didn’t actually know what to do at this point, but the tempting aroma of the tea prompted him to speak.

  
“Is that tea? Judging by the smell, it’s black tea, but also seems homemade given that it doesn’t have the scent of any company-made black tea I know of.” Levi regarded him with his usual unreadable expression, before gesturing for the boy to sit down. Ciel complied, and Levi set his cup down.

  
“In answer to your question, yes, this is black tea. And yes, I did brew it myself. You have a sharp nose. You must have extensive experience.”

  
Ciel nodded. “My b—erm, companion, Sebastian, makes incredible tea. The kinds vary, thus I have tasted many, and have a certain ability to identify them due to that.” As Ciel was speaking, Levi poured him a cup from the pot over the fire and handed it to him. Ciel took it, and the warmth from the cup as well as the satisfying aroma of the tea comforted him, and he closed his eyes just for a moment, savoring the feeling briefly.

  
Sebastian regarded the scene from the corner of the castle, shrouded in shadow, watching a small, pleased smile spread across his young master’s face. He had been staring blankly at the wall on his side of the room when he heard the rustle of covers to his right as Ciel awoke. He listened as the boy’s sleepy mumble turned into a gasp of realization, followed by the swish of clothes being put on, several huffs of irritation as Ciel struggled with his eyepatch (Sebastian had to stifle his slight laughter at this but let an amused smirk play on his lips), then the soft padding sound of his feet on the stone floor as he opened the door almost silently and exited the room. Sebastian had then risen himself, and followed his master soundlessly, like a shade in the night. The butler had wondered what on earth could have caused Ciel to not only awaken but also leave the room (and barefoot, as well), but he was met with the answer as the boy’s path led to Captain Levi and a small pot of black tea. Like a kitten to a saucer of milk, Sebastian thought with a small smirk. Seeing as his young master was not in any danger, he pondered whether or not he should remain there. However, not seeing the point in going back to a bed on which he would simply lie bored and unoccupied, he had decided to stay, albeit out of sight.

  
Levi watched Ciel take another sip of the tea. Ciel felt its warmth course through his body, and the slight chill of the night air seemed to disappear. Although it wasn’t as good as any tea Sebastian made, it was still good enough, and he was reminded—a bit ruefully—of the pleasant mornings he would wake up in his soft bed, greeted by Sebastian with a cup of whichever tea the butler had prepared (it tasted delicious no matter the kind). He hoped to return home as soon as possible. He allowed himself another small sip before speaking.

  
“This tea is very well-made. Both the flavor and aroma are suggestive of a careful preparation. I presume this isn’t your first time brewing it.”

  
Levi drank from his cup, then replied with a nod, “You are correct. A favorite hobby of mine used to be collecting tea leaves, and when I was younger I entertained the idea of opening my own tea shop. When I joined the Scouting Legion, I quickly discovered all they drank was coffee, and although I made myself get used to the taste and now drink it with them, I simultaneously strove to prepare a good tea I could enjoy as well. I had plenty of time, as I do not sleep much.”

  
“I think Petra mentioned something about you being a bit of an insomniac. Thus I take it you spend the time you do not sleep out here?”

  
Levi nodded. “So long as the weather makes it possible. Yet the nights here are often agreeable and cool, so this is usually where I decide to go, yes.”

  
“With the fire and tea, it must make for a pleasant ambiance,” Ciel said. “The smell was actually what prompted me to come out here. I’m rather used to enjoying tea at home, and I suppose the scent reminded me of that and caused me to awaken upon smelling it.”

  
At that, Ciel thought he saw the corners of the man’s mouth turn up in a hint of a smile. “Tea seems to have that effect. It’s a complex beverage, with the preparation possibly considered an art itself. Perhaps that is what caused me to become so fascinated by it.”

  
Ciel could only nod. He agreed, most definitely, but the silence that followed Levi’s words was one that was neither awkward nor uncomfortable, and just better left to be experienced as it was. Ciel took another sip of tea, and tipped his head back slightly to gaze up at the night sky, the light of the stars reflected in his eye. Naturally while leaning back, Ciel could not see Levi watching him. He regarded the boy with a more curious expression than usual (though said curiosity would be hard to detect at first glance), especially when his gaze focused on Ciel’s eyepatch.

  
“Your eye,” Levi said rather bluntly. “How did it happen?”

  
Ciel looked back at Levi and blinked, although he knew he probably should have expected the question sooner or later. He also knew he probably should have had an answer at the ready, given that the subject of his eye was bound to come up at some point. He inwardly groaned, but was immensely grateful Sebastian was not with him, or the demon would be all smirks at his unpreparedness and clear distress at trying to come up with a viable explanation (and indeed, Sebastian was smirking at his young master’s evident struggle, from his place in the shadows). _A good idea would likely be to fashion myself as one of them_ , Ciel thought, _a Titan fighter._

  
He put a hand to his eyepatch and said, “This was an injury that occurred during a run-in with a particularly troublesome Titan. I prefer to keep it covered, even though the initial wound has fully healed.” Ciel remembered the time he and Sebastian had first learned about Titans. There was a great deal of consternation on both sides, at the sight of these hulking humanoid creatures. Ciel was pretty sure Sebastian’s horrified expression had matched his own. Nonetheless they both had hastened to learn and educate themselves as much as they could, and soon their horror faded.

  
“This was a Titan’s doing? Was it an abnormal one?”

  
“The Titan itself was very nearly indomitable, and this happened during the struggle. It was an extremely hard-fought victory.”

  
At this, Levi nodded understandingly and murmured, “I can imagine.” Ciel looked at the short man quizzically, as his tone had had a kind of weary wistfulness, almost a vocalization of his seasoned experience with Titans. _Unlike me, he must have actually been through quite a lot with Titans_ , Ciel thought. _That’s probably why everyone here respects him so much_. He silently scoffed at himself. _That, and his expert leadership, as well as trust in his subordinates_. Ciel realized this man could very well be called a legend but would never accept such a title. This was not because of exceptional humility though, Ciel knew, it was because he would just never become arrogant or lustful for such recognition. He was content and satisfied just fighting this grand battle for the sake of humanity, seeing that as a good enough kind of nobility in itself. Ciel realized with slight shock that Levi was vastly more complex than he initially seemed.

  
Again from the shadows Sebastian smirked. He always found Ciel’s various explanations regarding the coverage of his contract symbol to be rather amusing. He vaguely wondered how Levi would react if Ciel were to remove the eyepatch and reveal the glowing violaceous symbol over his eye. Quite interestingly, he believed. Naturally he would never do something against his young master to ruin the boy’s plan, but he speculated about if any circumstances in the near future would call for such action. The thought brought another small smirk to his mouth as he continued to observe the conversation.

  
“You’re young,” Levi said, again bluntly stating the fact. “How did you become a Titan fighter so quickly?” _Again with the background_ , Ciel thought with slight irritation, but not at Levi. He didn’t like having to fashion an alternate persona for himself, yet not because of the deception involved, but because it was just too much effort. Ciel considered several explanations for a few seconds, and then responded.

  
“My parents were killed by Titans when I was younger. That incident impassioned me ever since, and I suppose my desire for revenge drove me to become so focused and determined that I was ready for actual combat in a short time.” Again Ciel found himself grateful Sebastian couldn’t hear him. He could just picture the butler’s smirk at his explanation. As he looked back at Levi he was surprised to see a small smile on the man’s face.

  
“You remind me of someone,” Levi said, and took another sip of tea. Ciel had finished his and looked down at the empty cup, feeling the slightest pang of disappointment. At Levi’s comment he looked back up, wondering who that ‘someone’ was. Yet all the man did was refill Ciel’s cup.

  
After a small period of comfortable silence, and several appreciative sips of tea by Ciel, Levi spoke again.

  
“That companion of yours seems very loyal to you. How did you two come to meet?” Ciel smirked, the expression cruelly curling his features. Unobserved, the demon perked up at this question.

  
“We met shortly after my parents’ death. He provided…the necessary help to achieve my goal. Since then he has remained by my side, yet I expect he gets something out of it as well.” Unbeknownst to Ciel, his large smirk perfectly matched that of the man in question. At Ciel’s response, Levi nodded.

  
“Loyalty is very important in this regiment. We trust each other, and I try to give as much of the responsibility as I can to my subordinates. Despite these ranks, we are all equal here. That trust and equality is what makes this branch so strong.”

  
It was Ciel’s turn to silently nod. He expected as much, as he had seen the loyalty Levi spoke of demonstrated in most all of the Scouting Legion’s members. It was a prominent quality within the group.

  
An unbidden yawn came from Ciel, and he promptly covered his mouth. Levi smiled, somewhat sympathetically, at the boy.

  
“You should return to bed. You’ll need the rest for tomorrow.” Ciel nodded, and rose to leave.

  
He hesitated, then said, “The tea was good,” before walking back in the direction he had come. By that time, Sebastian had already swiftly and silently returned to their room, and was in the same position on the bed as Ciel walked in.

  
After taking off his jacket and placing it back on the bedpost, and after removing his eyepatch (thankfully with far less trouble than it took to put it on), Ciel climbed back into bed under the covers. His eyes slowly closed.

  
                                                                                                                              ~~~  
A hand was grabbing him, then several, then too many to count. He kicked and screamed and cried out, but the tight grips didn’t loosen. He struggled against his human restraints, trying to squirm out of their hold. He looked up and saw innumerable pairs of merciless glowing eyes. His head was thrust down; he could feel the cool surface of the raised table against his cheek. His arms and legs were pinned down as well, the nails of the hands grabbing him digging into his skin, and eliciting sharp cries of pain from him. From the corner of his eye he could see a glowing, steaming object which made a sizzling sound. It had a strange design on it, and he could vaguely hear someone say something about “the mark of the noble beast.” A new kind of fear washed over him like an insurmountable wave, one of urgency, conveying a need to get out before that sizzling thing came any nearer. He cried out again, and the cry turned into a piercing shriek of agony as he felt something searing hot press into his back. He screamed and screamed, but all he saw were those unforgiving, glowing eyes above him.

  
“Young master!” Someone was shaking him. “Young master, are you alright?” The voice sounded familiar, and concerned. Ciel opened his eyes, and was initially met with darkness, but after a few moments could make out the tall figure of Sebastian above him.

  
“Se…bas…?” he managed, and struggled to sit up. The butler helped him, then lit a candle and knelt down to stare at Ciel. The boy vaguely realized he was shaking. His breath was coming out in pants.

  
“Young master, are you alright?” Sebastian said again. Ciel looked at him, wide mismatched eyes staring into worried red ones. “You were screaming. Was it another nightmare?” Ciel gripped the covers of the bed tightly, and nodded.

  
Sebastian seemed to hesitate for a moment, then said, “If you would permit me, young master, to be back in just a moment?” Ciel searched his face and then nodded again.  
Sebastian whisked out the door, and was back within seconds. In his hands was a teacup with white liquid. He handed it gently to Ciel and said with an expression resembling something akin to kindness, “Warm milk with honey, to help calm you down.”

  
Ciel took the cup, and raised it to his lips. The milk was good, and it sent warmth through his body. He let out a less shaky breath, and then sipped at the milk again. Sebastian remained kneeling as Ciel drank, watching the boy’s face and body as the trembling lessened and his hand let go of the covers. Ciel finished, and placed the cup down on the nightstand between the two beds. He had stopped shaking and become more calm, his breath steadier and the paralyzing fear fading away. He took a deep breath, then slowly laid back down on his bed. Sebastian rose, and gently pulled the blankets up to cover the small boy. He blew out the candle’s flame, and began to turn back to his own bed, before he was stopped by a small voice.

  
“Sebastian.” The butler turned his head and saw the purple glint of Ciel’s eye in the dim moonlight. “Stay there…until I fall asleep.”

  
“I will not leave the room, my lord.”

  
“N…No. I mean…over there.” Sebastian saw that the boy was looking towards the end part of his bed, and after glancing once more at Ciel, placed a gloved hand to the left side of his chest while bowing slightly and said, “Yes, my lord.”

  
He sat down on his young master’s bed, and Ciel couldn’t help the small, almost inaudible sigh that escaped his lips. He was not going to bother to try and deny the fact that he felt better, safer, with the demon here. He felt protected, and the feeling left behind from his nightmare was disappearing into the darkness. He closed his eyes, and with Sebastian at the foot of his bed, allowed sleep to claim him once more, though this time not one restless thought troubled him for the duration of the night.  
                                                                                                                  ~~~  
The group stayed at the castle for several more days. During this time, the two Titans Hange had been experimenting on were discovered to have been killed. When everyone rushed out to investigate, they were met with Erwin Smith and a few other members of the Scout Regiment. Again, Ciel sensed a strong feeling of loyalty from Levi towards the commander. Even after it happened, the mystery didn’t leave anyone’s mind, and even Ciel found himself slightly intrigued by the situation. He also heard that the recruitment ceremony, in which the cadets chose which branch to join, was nearing closer. The formation plan for the upcoming expedition outside the wall was gone over multiple times as well. Before long, the new recruits arrived at the castle.

  
Ciel was by the stables when he heard the sound of the new arrivals. He was lightly stroking his horse’s neck, running his fingers over the smooth and sleek coat and through the dark mane, as the animal ate (admittedly, it was the only way he could reach Coach’s head while on the ground). As the horse finished, Ciel slipped a hand into his pocket and brought out two sugar cubes, which he had snuck from the kitchen area. He held them up to his horse, and the animal licked them up from his hand eagerly, the tongue tickling Ciel’s palm. Ciel allowed himself a small smile.

  
“Careful, young master, or your horse will develop a sweet tooth likened to yours.” Sebastian’s voice and presence took Ciel by surprise, and he jumped a little, before turning around and glaring at the tall man.

  
“Damn demon,” he muttered under his breath. Said demon merely smirked, then murmured a soft greeting to his own horse prior to turning back to Ciel.

  
“The new recruits have arrived.”

  
“Oh?” Ciel looked up to see a group of eleven or twelve beige-jacketed teenagers walking by the castle entrance. He recognized a few of them from Eren’s trial. One of them was the blonde haired boy, and the other was the one he actually knew the name of, Mikasa. Just then, Eren emerged from one of the stable entrances, running towards the group of new arrivals. He seemed pleased to see his friends and classmates once more. Ciel watched as they all donned their green emblemed cloaks (in what Ciel found to be much too dramatic a fashion), and as they then entered the castle.

  
Ciel followed suit shortly after, and was sitting at the table in the small dining hall. No one came there at this hour, so it was always empty and unoccupied. He was reviewing the battle formation plan, designed and engineered by Erwin himself, which Levi had dropped off roughly a half hour prior. Ciel had been staring at it so long the pen-scribbled shapes and surrounding commentary were beginning to swim off the parchment, blending into fuzzy blurs. He let his head fall to the table, both arms on it as well, and let out a weary sigh. He looked up, however, when he heard footsteps on the stone floor followed by the sound of the wooden door being opened. He saw Sebastian slip through the doorway and watched as he closed the door behind him.

  
“Where have you been?” Ciel said irritably. Sebastian’s expression was something in between a smile and a smirk.

  
“Ah, young master, are we becoming cranky?” Ciel glared at him, but said nothing as he believed the glare was response enough. “And in answer to your question, I had been speaking with Commander Erwin about tomorrow’s expedition, the plans for which,” Sebastian glanced down at the paper in front of Ciel, “I see you have already acquired.”

  
“You spoke with Erwin?”

  
Sebastian gave a slight shrug. “I ran into him in the hall, he greeted me, started a conversation, I went along.”

  
“Hmph.” Ciel put his head back on the table

.  
“Young master, if you do that, you will--” At the beginning of Sebastian’s comment, Ciel had raised his head once more, and Sebastian saw that faint ink lines from the paper had been tattooed onto the boy’s cheek. He hid his smirk with a hand.

  
“Well now, young master, it seems that so long as your cheek is visible, we need not memorize the formation plan.” Ciel raised a hand to his cheek, and when he removed it he saw ink had smudged onto his fingers. He swore in irritation. Sebastian quickly left the room, and he returned with a wetted cloth. He crossed the room to Ciel, knelt down, and gently washed the ink off the Earl’s face. Sebastian also moved the paper farther down the table, away from Ciel.

  
The boy sighed again. “I’m tired of staring at that damned paper. I’m starting to see it on the walls.” After looking out the window for a moment, he turned back to Sebastian and said, “I want something sweet.”

  
The butler smirked. “I had begun to wonder when I would be faced with that request. But as always, young master, if you eat something like that now you will not be hungry for this evening’s dinner.” Ciel glared at him again.

  
“Make me something sweet. A cake, parfait, I don’t care.”

  
“Young master, I cannot.”

  
“Sebastian.”

  
“You need to eat your dinner.” As Ciel opened his mouth to protest once more, Sebastian continued, “You do want to get taller, do you not?” Ciel closed his mouth, and opted once again for the glare.

  
“After dinner, I shall make you something. But for now, please return to your study of the plan.” Sebastian pushed the paper back towards Ciel. Ciel grimaced, and Sebastian left the boy to his work with another smirk.

  
Soon night came, with Ciel and Sebastian--along with most of the castle’s inhabitants—taking dinner in their room. The expedition was to be tomorrow, and Sebastian had suggested Ciel go to bed early so as to get sufficient rest. Seeing most everyone else was staying in their respective quarters, Ciel agreed. He was surprised he had not come into direct contact with the new recruits, but figured he would get to know them well enough tomorrow. _And deal with all the questions_. Ciel groaned, and again collapsed backwards onto his bed. He would have to do more explaining. Sebastian regarded him with an amused expression, then began to prepare the boy for bed. Ciel had had to bathe in the style of a ‘combat shower’, which had been cold, short, and irksome. Sebastian had certainly been amused at his discomfort and irritation, Ciel knew. However, soon it was over and he was being toweled off and dressed by Sebastian. The butler had brought him inside, saying something about Ciel risking another asthma attack in this weather, and had prepared some tea for him, along with _gâteau chocolat_ , his favorite.

  
Ciel took his last sip of the tea after finishing the dessert, and set the cup down. He felt much more tired tonight than previous nights, and so when Sebastian brought the covers over him he had no trouble falling asleep.

  
                                                                                                                             ~~~  
“Young master.” Sebastian’s voice, and the bright morning light from the window, stirred Ciel from his sleep. “It’s time to wake up.”

  
“Nnn,” he rubbed his eyes sleepily, and blinked against the sun’s rays. He sat up and stretched with a yawn. Sebastian had to smirk slightly at the boy’s tousled hair and sleep-rumpled nightgown. However, as soon as Ciel smelled the familiar aroma of tea, he perked right up. Sebastian handed him the teacup, and Ciel drank as Sebastian put on the jacket and boots that he had previously taken off.

  
“How did you manage to obtain Earl Grey here?” Ciel asked.

  
“Captain Levi has a cabinet in the storage area. Its contents are sparse, but I was able to find a few tea packets,” Sebastian said as Ciel swung his legs over the side of the bed, and he began to dress the boy for the day, in the same ridiculously lavish getup he had arrived in. Sebastian finished tying the eyepatch securely at the back of Ciel’s head, Ciel took one last sip of tea, and then they both exited the room, walking in the direction of the dining hall.

  
Levi and a few of the others were already seated and eating. Ciel sat down, and Sebastian filled a plate for him. As Ciel began to eat, the rest of the group, as well as the recent recruits, trickled into the room in a gradual stream. He noticed several of the newer arrivals staring at him, but didn’t much care as he was too focused on appeasing his hunger. Once everyone had sat down, Levi rose.

  
“We’re going to ride back to the main city today, and meet up with the rest before setting out on our expedition outside the wall. So finish your meals, pack up your things, and be ready in an hour.” Levi turned to leave, but paused and said, “I know for you new arrivals most of these faces are unfamiliar, but we do not have time for a meet-and-greet at the present moment.” He then walked out the door, several other members following thereafter. Ciel soon finished as well, and stood.

  
“Let’s go, Sebastian.”

  
“Very good, my lord.” They both left the room, and Ciel could feel the eyes of those remaining in the room on him until he walked out into the hall.

  
“How did you enjoy the food, young master?” Sebastian asked on the way to their room. Ciel made a face.

  
“The sooner I get back home, accompanied with your cooking, the better.” Sebastian smiled and opened the door to their room once they arrived.

  
Before long they were all packed and ready. They both donned the green cloak before leaving the room and walking out of the castle in the direction of the stables. As they began to prepare their horses, Levi arrived to ready his own steed, and as he was attempting to mount, seemed to be having a little trouble. In one swift motion Sebastian appeared right next to him.

  
He bowed slightly, but as he raised his head a smirk played on his lips. “Do you require any assistance, Captain?” he said.

  
Levi regarded him with a blank stare, but Ciel could see the veiled annoyance in the short man’s expression. Sebastian simply smiled brightly.

  
“You see, my young master faces the same problem yet the difference is he is only thirteen, thus it is normal, however you are considerably older, therefore…” he let his voice trail off, and Ciel’s brow twitched in irritation.

  
“Ignore him. He likes to make snide comments,” he called. Levi didn’t seem to react to what Ciel said, and with expertly-disguised considerable effort, swung himself onto his horse’s saddle and rode away from the stables. Sebastian returned to Ciel’s side.

  
“That was unnecessary,” the boy said.

  
“My apologies, young master.”

  
“Hmph.” Ciel went to grab hold of his horse’s saddle, then stopped halfway through the motion. He slowly turned his head to look at Sebastian, who was smiling cheerfully back at him.

  
“Do you require any assistance, my lord?” Sebastian’s smile grew wider. Ciel glared at him.

  
“You know damn well the answer to that question.” After helping Ciel onto his horse Sebastian mounted his own. They both rode out and regrouped with the others. Soon after, the entire group left the castle and began the journey to the main city. Per usual, Ciel and Sebastian rode slightly apart from the group, but behind Levi. Ciel was riding to the right of Petra, Sebastian next to him. Several times she looked over to him as if she wished to make small talk, but each time she seemed to decide against it and went back to staring ahead. After about the seventh time of her doing this, Ciel debated if _he_ should initiate a conversation, just to stop her continual sideward glances at him, but realized he didn’t really have anything to say and so dropped the idea.

  
The ride continued on with determined silence, until at last they reached the entrance to the city. The entire Scouting Legion had assembled, and were positioned readily in front of the gate. Levi stood straight, poised nobly atop his horse. Petra and the other members of Squad Levi were directly behind him, then the new recruits and the rest, yet all were positioned in the prepared formation. Ciel couldn’t forget it if he tried. At the very front of them all was Commander Erwin Smith, ready to lead. A loud voice announced thirty seconds until the gate opened, and Ciel looked over to Sebastian, his glance ordering the demon not to leave his side. Sebastian placed a hand over his chest in compliance. Ciel looked to his left, and saw the firmly determined expression on Eren’s face. Just then, a man made a comment to fire everyone up, and all raised the blades of their 3DMGs in rallied frenzy. Ciel made no move to join in, and steeled himself to come once again into contact with those horrific creatures called Titans. His hand gripped the silver hilt of one of his blades, fingers absentmindedly tracing over the cool metal wing. Finally the gate heaved open, and Erwin bellowed the command to move out. Every rider shot forward, the thunderous roar of hooves drowning everything else out as they rode forth into the territory beyond the wall.

  
                                                                                                                          ~~~  
A sea of emerald cloaks surged into the ruins of the once-populated town. Ciel was looking around him, Sebastian keeping pace at his side, when Hange called out a warning of a 10-meter approaching from the left front. Ciel’s eyes slightly widened at its size, and Sebastian glanced over at his young master.

  
“We shall let the support squad handle it,” he said, and Ciel nodded once before urging his horse onwards with the rest of the group, Erwin’s encouraging calls resounding from the front. As soon as they cleared the old city area, Erwin issued the command to deploy the long-range enemy-scouting formation, and the group began to fan out. Ciel started to distance himself more, Sebastian following, when Petra called out to him.

  
“That’s going to interfere with the formation!” she yelled.

  
Sebastian flashed her a calm smile and replied, “Please do not worry about us,” before he and Ciel rode off towards the outermost flank. The front line spread out in a semi-circle at long range, so that each member could see in all directions, and so they were spaced out evenly. The aim was to widen the search and communications perimeter as much as possible. Ciel was riding in the same relative area of the blond boy Armin, and could just make out his nervous and anxious expression. Armin looked over and caught sight of Ciel, who simply stared back for a moment before looking ahead once more and racing onwards. Sebastian followed him like a shadow, riding close to his side but not exactly right next to him, their cloaks billowing out by the wind. Ciel could feel the breeze blowing through his hair as he rode faster, could feel the vibration of his horse’s hooves pounding against the earth, and he inhaled deeply, letting the clean air fill his lungs. He had the strange desire to simply continue on like this, galloping in a straight line at an increasingly faster pace, advancing farther and farther into the unknown region. It had been quite some time since he had ridden as freely as this, and he felt rather energized.

  
Suddenly Ciel heard a bang and looked to the sky, where he caught sight of a red flare rocketing into the air, a piercing crimson against the clouds. A flare of this color meant that a Titan had been spotted, and that all those seeing the flare must fire one of their own.

  
“Sebastian,” Ciel said, and the man nodded. Sebastian reached into his left saddlebag, selected the red smoke cartridge, loaded it into the flare gun, and fired it vertically. Using the flares to confirm the Titan’s location, Erwin was to fire a green flare indicating the direction in which everyone would proceed. Sure enough, as Ciel searched the sky he saw the viridescent trail of the Commander’s flare, pointing towards the northeast. Sebastian and Ciel changed their course, and galloped in the direction specified by the green smoke. Thus the group avoided the spotted Titan. However, this system worked best only on the relatively ‘normal’ Titans which were easy to predict. Yet oftentimes variant Titans appeared, and that caused slightly more trouble. For these variants, a black flare was assigned.

  
After the first Titan was avoided, Ciel and Sebastian had continued to ride on, still moderately distanced from the main group. As they were nearing a grove of trees, Ciel heard a resounding noise from the shade. Out of nowhere a Titan burst from the trees, faster than any he had seen and moving with a strange gait. _A variant!_ Ciel thought in a momentary panic, before composing himself and reaching for his left saddlebag.

  
“Sebastian!” he called out, before firing a black flare into the sky.

  
The demon nodded, and withdrew his blades from their sheaths, the gleaming metal flashing sharply in the sun.

  
“We’re at a slight disadvantage working from the ground, but we need to incapacitate it immediately! You aim for the neck; I’ll stop its movement!”

  
“Understood!” Sebastian called back, and leapt up so that his feet were on the saddle, poised to jump. Ciel launched himself at the Titan with his 3D Maneuvering Device, and sliced the back of the Titan’s foot, severing the Achilles’ tendon and sending it crashing to the ground in a cloud of dust.

  
He landed and yelled out, “Now, Sebastian!”

  
The demon hurled himself from the saddle, above the Titan, somersaulted once in the air, then raised both blades above him before dealing the fatal blow to the creature as he came down. Sebastian landed deftly, and searched for Ciel through the dust cloud. As he located the boy, he heard the beat of hooves against the ground and looked over to see the dark coats of their horses racing towards them. Sebastian smiled.

  
“They really are incredible animals.”

  
After a short bout of coughing caused by the dust, Ciel replied, “Yes, quite.”

  
Sebastian glanced down at his blades and remarked, “A bit of an upgrade from silverware, hmm? Nonetheless, I still prefer the Phantomhive cutlery.” Ciel smirked in response.  
Sebastian helped Ciel up and then swung himself onto his own saddle, and they rode off to catch up with the main group. Before long Ciel caught sight of the Armin’s yellow head, and urged his horse forward so that he was a little closer.

  
As they were riding, Sebastian commented, “Ah, young master, I must say it was quite interesting watching you initially struggle to master this gear. However, it is evident that you have become quite the expert with it since then.”

  
All he got in reply was a “Hmph” from Ciel as they continued on.

  
“I want to head towards the right flank,” Ciel said after a few moments, and Sebastian nodded in agreement before changing his course to match his young master’s. As they were going in the direction of the right flank, Ciel heard a cry of terror as well as the loud bang of a flare gun, and searched around to see the distant figure of Armin with his arm raised. Looking closer, Ciel also saw a larger shape not far from Armin. The shape grew larger as it drew closer, and Ciel could not completely believe what he was seeing, as it appeared to be a female Titan, and an extremely fast one at that. It looked to be heading directly towards Armin. Ciel and Sebastian both watched as this Titan neared dangerously close to Armin, and were deciding to rush to the boy’s aid, just as Ciel heard another piercing cry coming from the direction of the right flank. He could make out a few figures near Armin that would be able to help, and thus sharply turned his horse in the direction of the second cry, spurring the animal on to its fastest pace. Sebastian followed suit, and kept the hurried speed by his master’s flank.

  
They arrived just as a horde of Titans was thundering towards the search group of the right flank. _They must have been drawn to them by the female Titan_ , Ciel thought, and looked over to Sebastian to see the demon figured the same. There had to be at least twelve Titans, all headed en masse towards the small right flank group. There were not enough in that squad to fight off all the oncoming Titans, and Ciel realized the relatively drastic measure which was called for by the apparent equally drastic time. He sighed softly, and raised a hand to the back of his head.

  
Pulling lightly on the string, he let his eyepatch fall and opened the eye which bore his contract symbol. Amaranthine fire blazed alongside a sapphire pool as Ciel raised his head high, gripped the reigns tight, and called out in a clear, resolute voice:

  
“Sebastian, this is an order. Eliminate all of them!”

  
Several members of the right flank squad heard Ciel’s command and looked up, eyes wide with shock as they saw the boy’s mismatched eyes, but he was only looking at Sebastian.

  
With a fiendish yet debonair smirk the demon slipped off his glove to reveal the matching symbol on the back of his left hand, and replied in an equally steadfast tone, “Yes, my lord!”

  
Sebastian’s eyes glowed deadly crimson, and in the next few moments—for that was all it took—he was simply a blur. He leapt from his horse and whirled from one Titan to the next, rotating his blades around himself so that he was encircled by a lethal ring of steel. He dealt the perfect blow each time, slicing off the nape of the back of each Titan’s neck masterfully. When he finished off the very last one, he landed gracefully on one knee, wiping off his bloodied blades with a cloth. A few splashes of blood dotted his pants and jacket, but that was all. His breathing was only slightly labored, but it soon evened out once more.

  
Ciel then turned his attention to the right flank squad, who were huddled together amongst the carnage.

  
“Catch up with the rest of the formation!” he yelled to them, not cruelly but sternly enough to get them moving. They bolted from the scene, their horses’ hooves beating the earth.

  
Ciel dismounted and stared out at the sea of massive bodies and blood, one hand still grasping the reigns. He looked up at Sebastian, and the butler glanced down at him with a smirk.

  
“I am butler to the Phantomhive family. It goes without saying that I can eradicate a few Titans.” Ciel rolled his eyes, then looked back over the bloodstained landscape.  
“Young master, they saw your contract symbol. Shall we rectify that issue?”

  
“Don’t bother.” Ciel sheathed the blade he had half-drawn. “We’ll be leaving too soon for it to have a lasting effect; and they’ll most likely dismiss it as their own imagination anyway.”

  
"Very good, sir.”

  
After several moments of silence Ciel sighed, running a hand through his hair. “This will make for quite the report.” As Sebastian knelt down to pick up Ciel’s fallen eyepatch, the boy continued, “And it’s not even over yet.”

  
“Indeed,” the butler replied. He bent down slightly and gently placed the eyepatch over Ciel’s eye, with the boy holding it in place as Sebastian securely tied it behind Ciel’s head.

  
“Now then, young master,” Sebastian said, straightening up when he had finished, “let us rejoin the rest of the legion and finish this.”


End file.
